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Friday, May 05, 2006

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you because of me

This means that we will be filled with great joy when we are willing to do the works that Jesus commanded us to do even though people might not like what we are doing.

To stop our good works from reaching out into the world, some people may say mean and untrue things about us, or try to harm us in some way.

Did you know that Jesus, his disciples, and the wise old prophets we read about in the Old Testament of the Bible, were also persecuted by those who hated Truth?

When we try to do what Jesus wants us to do, we come to see that we are part of the family of God’s children in the kingdom of heaven. For that reason, we should “rejoice, and be exceeding glad"! The Beatitudes promise rewards that come to us right away, this one promises a “reward in heaven.” We don’t really know exactly what that reward is, but we are told it is “great.” Sometimes we have to be patient to receive the blessings that are sure to come to those who live a pure, Christian life on earth, and have been brave Christian soldiers in the fight against evil.

If you have been persecuted, or treated badly, for teaching others about God, go ahead and be happy anyway: your reward to come is GREAT!